Welcome to the E46Fanatics forums. E46Fanatics is the premiere website for BMW 3 series owners around the world with interactive forums, a geographical enthusiast directory, photo galleries, and technical information for BMW enthusiasts.

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.

Does anyone else contemplate selling their car? But after contemplating for a bit, and deciding you want to sell it, you hop in it and go for a spin. Now what's running through your head is "wow I'm such an idiot! Why would I ever contemplate selling something that is such a joy to drive!"

With break downs and repairs I'm constantly wondering if I should sell it. It's the longest I've ever owned a car (3 years), and before this I had 5 cars in a span of 3 years. Every time I go to drive mine, or any E46 for that matter, I can not think of any other car I want to be in at that moment.

The interior is perfect IMO. Better than any newer BMW by far. The handling is, well, E46 fvcking handling. The power is enough for me, although I would love an N54 in there .

Contemplated selling it every year. Coming back to it after winter storage, I couldn't see why I would.
Having had 3 different winter beaters, it helps remind me how great this car is once I step back in.

Not to mention its properly difficult to find a car of comparable caliber for the money I would be selling it for.

Many times. I even priced it at the BMW dealer as a trade in for an e92. But just couldnt pull the trigger. As AC2007, I have a beater mazda for the days when e46 gets grounded. But everytime I drive the mazda, I feel like kicking myself to get back in the e46 though.

And with so many new spare parts in the trunk(RSMs, RTABs, CCV, OFHG, VCG, boots, filters, all kinds of bolts, clips and washers, coolant, distilled water, a quart of oil, tool box set, detailing supplies) I just cant give up on my e46. Yes, I have all those parts in my trunk, waiting for a right time to replace them. Just cant allocate time for all that at once. I'd rather drive my coupe in the winter than a beater though. Heated seats FTW.

By the way, I am looking to get rid of my beater mazda and get an xi or jetta for winter.
My coupe will only be replaced by another bimmer coupe, may be a z4 or an e92.

But I have a deep desire for Jaguar xkr. I might pull the trigger on selling all the cars and be satisfied with that beast. Until then my little coupe is going to stay.

Mine was that I love the e46 but didn't love my car...now I own an e46 m3 (I will keep this car until I die, I'm 23). A well maintained e46 is a timeless car.

I've had the M3 for 9 weeks now and I still can't believe I own it. I get nervous every time I turn the key...I arrive everywhere excited and jittery. It feels like doing something you weren't suppose to as a kid and getting away with it every time.

Mine was that I love the e46 but didn't love my car...now I own an e46 m3 (I will keep this car until I die, I'm 23). A well maintained e46 is a timeless car.

I've had the M3 for 9 weeks now and I still can't believe I own it. I get nervous every time I turn the key...I arrive everywhere excited and jittery. It feels like doing something you weren't suppose to as a kid and getting away with it every time.

I've only had mine for a few months, but I love it. I sold a WRX wagon that I owned for years and replaced it with the 330ci. The WRX was faster, had much more cargo room, was super reliable, was a damned monster in the snow, was easy to drive people around in, and was an amazing car overall. I also have an E36 M3 that I bought in 2006 and have been obsessed with ever since. As much as I loved my WRX, I love the way the M3 drives, and how I feel in that car (don't care about anything but just *driving* it). An E46 was the most logical thing to get a car that has that feel that I could daily drive.

I searched for about a month for an E46 with the following wishlist:
-Had to be a 330
-Had to be a manual
-Had to have sport package
-Had to be either red, blue, or white
-Had to have under 120K miles
-Had to been in good condition, and within a certain budget

After about a month of searching, I found a 2003 Japan rot 330ci, ZSP, ZPP, manual, 100K miles, about 5 hours drive from me, within my price range. The ad went up on cars.com on a Thursday morning. I took the day off work the next day and was at the sellers doorstep about 24 hours after the ad posted. Everything checked out, I left a deposit on the car. The following weekend, my girlfriend and I took my WRX down for the trip to pick up the 330ci. We picked it up, and she drove the WRX home while I was in my new to me E46. Being in the 330, and seeing the WRX rolling down the highway knowing what the drive was like for her, I was happy with my decision and enjoyed the super smooth E46 and that great BMW handling and steering feel the whole way home. I got home at 1am, unloaded stuff, helped her to bed, and got back in the car to drive it *more*. Took it out for a little drive around some nearby back roads I like. Yeah, I was happy with the purchase. I got up at 7am the next day (a Sunday) to take it out for a drive again.

I was still reluctant to let the WRX go. So I held on to it just to be sure I was making the right decision (the WRX is a much better car on paper). The 2 cars sat next to one another in the driveway for weeks. Every day I would stand by the table with the key cup on it...look outside at both of them, and grab the key to the 330ci. After a month or so, the 330ci won me over, and I was detached enough from the WRX to sell it. The WRX was awesome. I put it up for sale at about $2K over the price of any other WRX selling in my area. It sold in less than a week to the 2nd guy that came to see it, $200 under asking price. It had more miles than the 330ci I just bought, and I got more money for the WRX than what I paid for the 330ci. This helped me justify my frivolous, purely emotional decision to get rid of a perfectly good car.

I haven't looked back since. I would be lying if I said I wasn't apprehensive about the winter after living with an AWD monster for so long. But so far, i'm so happy with the E46. I love driving the car so much. Sell it? Not for a while.

When you start prepping your car to trade it, you clean out the trunk and glovebox, finally do the inside windows and you wash it. Maybe you replace the floor mats. Then you realize how nice your car really is and decide hanging on to it is the best choice.

I think its sort of the grass is always greener effect. The car needs constant attention, and really basic stuff like sensors, seals and rubber bits cost too much. A basic servicing seems to cost a ton.

Then however you compare it to what else you might buy and you realize anything else that drives as well and a great many things that drive way worse and are more of a pain in the ass on maintenance.

Once I came to terms with the fact that this car needs to visit the local BMW doctor every 3 months or so to keep it running the way it should and budgeted accordingly, I have been much happier with it.

I agree with pretty much everything here. I considered selling my 323i, but once I thought about it more, I've come to the conclusion it would be pointless to considering how good it is in comparison to other cars out there for similar money. I know if I found another 323i in similar spec and condition for ~$4k, I'd probably buy it on the spot for my fiancée so I know she has something reliable and easy for me to work on. In fact, I'm probably just going to give her mine if I ever find the e39 I'm looking for...

Oh, and E46's are damn good in the snow with a proper set of winter tires. I've even pulled people out of ditches with it in past winters.

The 323 is just so much raw fun.
Tight e36 like steering, lighter engine and lack of options. Also has the less fragile ASC module instead of the DSC.
It has the cheapest maintenance cost of all e46(cheaper brakes and fuel filter....), provided you got the MY 2000 models without the weak subframe.

It's the perfect commuter car and not afraid to take few battle scars here and there due to its cheaper body parts. There are an abundance of smashed 1999-2000 323i in my local junkyard

I will keep it for long road trips and eventually turn it into a track car.

The 323 is just so much raw fun.
Tight e36 like steering, lighter engine and lack of options. Also has the less fragile ASC module instead of the DSC.
It has the cheapest maintenance cost of all e46(cheaper brakes and fuel filter....), provided you got the MY 2000 models without the weak subframe.

It's the perfect commuter car and not afraid to take few battle scars here and there due to its cheaper body parts.

I will keep it for long road trips and eventually turn it into a track car.

Mine's a 10/2000 production so it has DSC. My brakes and clutch have also lasted stupidly long. 80k miles on the front and well over 100k on the rears. (Light just popped on a few days ago, PO last changed them around 100k) 215.6k miles on the clutch at the moment.

It's nice to have something you don't worry about parking on the street or in a public structure. While the 323i did excellent on a recent 6k mile road trip, it's a tad small for 2 people, which is why I'm looking for a higher mileage e39.

If anyone wants my car they can have it, $6900 and its yours mods and all. New everything, mint condition. Frame reinforced if u want to do a crazy engine swap as it will hold it no problem or make it a track car. Its time ive upgraded to the e46 m3...i want a coupe.